Rulex
The Rulex is a series of leaf shutters made by the Japanese company Neumann & Heilemann in the late 1930s and early 1940s. They exist only in #0 size. Except on counted occasions, all the Rulex shutters are identified as made by "Neumann & Heilemann", even after the company was absorbed by Fujimoto in 1937. It is said that rebadged Rulex shutters were also supplied to other camera makers, but none has been identified for sure. Rebadged Rulex: Tanimura, p.97 of no.12. The name "Rulex" also applies to a German shutter model dating from the 1920s. Versions Three versions of the Rulex were offered, called Rulex A, B and D, respectively with 1s, 1/5 or 1/25 slow speed. Most are everset, but it is said that some late versions were made with a setting lever. Setting lever: Tanimura, p.97 of no.12. Range of speeds of the Rulex A: * 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, B, T from early 1935; Advertisement for the First Etui dated April 1935 reproduced in Baird, p.61. — Advertisement for the Kinka dated July 1935 reproduced in , p.67. — Advertisements for the Super Makinet Six published in Asahi Camera from September 1936 to April 1937, and advertisements for the same dated April 1937 and February 1939 reproduced in , pp.74 and 94. — Advertisement for the Victor dated October 1937 reproduced in , p.84. — Advertisements for the National dated December 1937, June 1938 and June 1939 reproduced in , p.81. * 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, B, T from late 1939; Advertisements for the Semi Condor and New Semi Condor dated November 1939 and June 1940 reproduced in , p.72. — Advertisement for the National dated February 1940 reproduced in , p.81. * 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 150, 300, B, T from early 1941. Advertisements for the New Semi Condor dated January 1941 and March 1942 reproduced in , pp.72–3. — Advertisement for the Semi Rody dated February 1941 reproduced in , p.106. — Advertisement for the Ugein dated March 1941 reproduced in , p.99. Range of speeds of the Rulex B (there are inconsistencies in the original advertisements): * 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 150, B, T from early 1935; Advertisement for the First Etui dated April 1935 reproduced in Baird, p.61. — Advertisements for the Super Makinet Six published in Asahi Camera in September and October 1936. The advertisement for the same dated February 1939 reproduced in , p.74, is certainly anomalous. — Advertisement for the Victor dated October 1937 reproduced in , p.84. — Advertisement for the Semi Condor dated November 1939 reproduced in , p.72. * 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, B, T from late 1936; Advertisements for the Super Makinet Six published in Asahi Camera from November 1936 to April 1937, and advertisement for the Super Makinet Six dated April 1937 reproduced in , p.94. — Advertisements for the National dated December 1937, June 1938, June 1939 and February 1940 reproduced in , p.81. — Advertisement for the Semi Condor on p.15 of Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin, December 15, 1939, reproduced on p.49 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku. — Advertisements for the New Semi Condor dated June 1940, January 1941 and March 1942 reproduced in , pp.72–3. — Advertisement for the Semi Rody dated February 1941 reproduced in , p.106. * 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, B, T in early 1941 (unconfirmed). Advertisement for the Ugein dated March 1941 reproduced in , p.99. Range of speeds of the Rulex D: * 25, 50, 150, B, T from early 1936. Advertisement for the Gold plate folder dated March 1936 reproduced in , p.71. — Advertisement for the Victor dated October 1937 reproduced in , p.84. Shutter plate design The shutter plate of the Rulex is always the same whatever the camera on which it is mounted. Two different designs are known. The early shutter plate is marked Neumann & Heilemann or NEUMANN & HEILEMANN PATENTS PENDING in small characters at the top and RULEX in fancy letters at the bottom. It has the NH logo of Neumann & Heilemann on the right. The aperture scale consists of a separate crescent-shaped plate screwed to the bottom. The late shutter plate is marked NEUMANN–HEILEMANN at the top and RULEX at the bottom in regular capital letters. There are three decorative stripes on each side of the lens and the NH logo on the right. The aperture scale is directly inscribed at the bottom on most examples. Cameras equipped Listing of a camera here should not be taken to mean that all examples of the camera were fitted with Rulex shutters. The words "early" and "late" correspond to the shutter plate design. Notes Bibliography * * * Kamera no mekanizumu sono I: "Hai! Chīzu" Shunkan o torae-tsuzukeru shattā-ten (カメラのメカニズム・そのⅠ・「ハイ！チーズ」瞬間をとらえ続けるシャッター展, Camera mechanism, part 1 "Cheese!" Exhibition of instant taking shutters). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 2002. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number) P.19. * Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin (日本写真興業通信). Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku (百号ごと十回の記録, Ten records, every hundred issues). Tokyo: Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin Sha (日本写真興業通信社), 1967. No ISBN number. Advertisement on p.49, corresponding to p.15 of the December 15, 1939 issue. * * Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Neumann & Heilemann: kieta ashiato, Minoruta setsuritsu to sono ato no karera wo otte" (Neumann & Heilemann 消えた足跡・ミノルタ設立とその後の彼等を追って, On the traces of Neumann & Heilemann at the founding of Minolta and afterwards.) Pp.96–9. Links * Rulex D (25–150, B, T) shutter and Tritar 10.5cm f/4.5 lens at ksmt.com * Unidentified plate camera with a Rulex A (1–200, B, T) shutter and a Fuji Optische Werk Anastigmat Trionar 105mm f/4.5 lens, in the Driving Outback blog Category: Leaf shutters Category: 1935 Category: Japanese shutters